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Municipal elections

Compliance notice

I hereby confirm that all candidates to the October 22, 2018 elections have complied with section 88.25 of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 by having submitted their financial statement and auditor’s report by due date.

I also hereby confirm, under section 88.34 (1) of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, that I have reviewed the contributions reported on the financial statements submitted to me by the candidates and I have nothing to report as all contributions were within the limits allowed.

Christine Groulx, Clerk

April 25, 2019

The next Municipal and School Elections will be held on Monday October 22nd, 2018.

The Town’s electors will have to elect one Mayor and six councillors. They will also have to vote for one school trustee for the school board of their choice.

As for the last four elections, electors will have to vote by phone or by Internet. The Canadian company Intelivote, with over 14 years of experience in elections of all kinds, has obtained the contract for the 2018 elections.

The provincial Government has made several amendments to the Municipal Elections Act, 1996. Nominations may only be filed between Tuesday May 1st, 2018 and 2:00 p.m. on Friday July 27, 2018.

Please consult the Town’s Website regularly, as information will be added throughout the electoral process.

General Information

Nomination period – May 1, 2018 to July 26, 2018

People interested in running for office may file their nomination paper with the Clerk during normal business hours from 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday May 1, 2018 until 4:00 p.m. on Thursday July 26, 2018. The office is closed between noon and 1:00 p.m.

Nomination Day – July 27, 2018

The last day to file nomination papers is Friday July 27, 2018 at 2:00 p.m.. The office will be open without interruption on that day from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

Withdrawal of a nomination – July 27, 2018

Nominations may be withdrawn until 2:00 p.m. on Friday July 27, 2018.

Certification of nomination papers – July 30, 2018

Nomination papers will be examined and certified by the Clerk before 4:00 p.m. on Monday July 30, 2018.

Voters’ List – August 31, 2018

The Voters’ List shall be completed by August 31, 2018. Please check to see if your name is on the list.

Revision to the Voters’ List – September 4 until October 22, 2018

Correction to the Voters’ List may be done until the close of voting at 8:00 p.m. on Voting Day on Monday October 22, 2018. Do not wait until the last minute as identification papers will be required when you come to the Voter Help Centre.

Voting period – October 17 until 22, 2018

Telephone and Internet voting will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday October 17 and will end at 8:00 p.m. on Monday October 22, 2018.

Voting Day – October 22, 2018

It will be possible to vote by phone and Internet until 8:00 p.m. on Monday October 22, 2018.

Election results – October 22, 2018

Results will be announced after the close of voting on Voting Day Monday October 22, 2018, shortly after 8:00 p.m. in the Community Centre at the Robert Hartley Sports Complex.

Term of office of new Council – December 1, 2018

New Council will be deemed organized once members have taken declaration of office not before December 1, 2018.

First meeting of Council – December 3, 2018

Unless otherwise decided, the first meeting of Council will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Monday December 3, 2018 in the Council Chambers.

Electoral campaign of candidates – December 31, 2018

The electoral campaign of a candidate begins on the day his or her nomination paper is filed with the Clerk and ends the day his or her financial statement has been submitted to the Clerk or no later than December 31, 2018.

Public Notices

Prior to 2018, third party advertising was not regulated for municipal council and school board elections. Those who wanted to advertise or distribute materials supporting or opposing a candidate did not have to identify themselves, were able to spend unlimited amounts of money, and did not have to report their advertising or financial activities to anyone.

Recent changes to the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 created a framework of rules for third party advertising. This guide provides information about who can register to be a third party advertiser, what registration allows them to do, and the rules that third party advertisers must follow.

Every third party is responsible for keeping financial records related to their advertising campaign. The Municipal Elections Act, 1996 does not require that third parties use any specific accounting system. A third party may want to consult with an auditor or an accountant to make sure that they are using a bookkeeping and accounting system that will suit their needs.

Please note that the Town's Facebook page is to provide information on the Town's programs, activities and services. This corporate communication tool cannot be utilized to comment on the current electoral campaign. Consequently, all electoral campaign messages and comments will be erased.

Information for Voters

Qualifications to vote

To be entitled to vote to the Municipal Elections in the Town of Hawkesbury, you shall fulfill the following conditions on voting day, October 22, 2018:

Reside in the Town of Hawkesbury or own or lease a piece of land in the Town of Hawkesbury, or be the spouse of such owner or tenant;

Be a Canadian citizen;

Be at least 18 years old; and

Being not prohibited from voting under subsection (3) of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 or otherwise by law.

Prohibited from voting

The following persons are prohibited from voting:

A person who is serving a sentence of imprisonment in a penal or correctional institution;

A corporation;

A person acting as executor or trustee or in any other representative capacity;

A person who was convicted of the corrupt practices under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, if voting day in the current election is less than five years after voting day in the election in respect of which he or she was convicted.

Identification

Anyone asking for amendments to the Voters’ List or requiring the issuance of a new Voter Information Letter shall be able to prove his or her identity and his or her qualification to vote including a proof of residence, renting or ownership, date of birth and even Canadian citizenship.

Information for Candidates

Who may be nominated

Please consult section 29 and the ones following of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 to make sure you may be nominated for an office on the Municipal Council. Section 219 of the Education Act enumerates the requirements for seeking office on a school board.

Municipal Council

Are you interested in municipal politics? The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) is offering mid to late February an online training for people wishing to know more about municipalities and responsibilities of being an official elected.

School board

Are you thinking about getting involved at the school level? The Ontario Education Services Corporation, on behalf of the four school boards, will be offering documents and information to people interested to know more about school boards. The minute these documents are available, we will post the link on the Town’s website.

Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario

Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario

Upper Canada District School Board

Compliance notice

I hereby confirm that all candidates to the October 22, 2018 elections have complied with section 88.25 of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 by having submitted their financial statement and auditor’s report by due date.

I also hereby confirm, under section 88.34 (1) of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, that I have reviewed the contributions reported on the financial statements submitted to me by the candidates and I have nothing to report as all contributions were within the limits allowed.

Christine Groulx, Clerk

April 25, 2019

Financial statements

The Act requires the filing of a financial statement by all candidates whether elected or not. These financial statements shall be filed by March 29, 2019. After review, they will be posted on the website.

Compliance audit

An elector who is entitled to vote in an election and believes on reasonable grounds that a candidate has contravened a provision of this Act relating to election campaign finances may apply for a compliance audit of the candidate’s election campaign finances. The deadline to apply for a compliance audit is Thursday June 29, 2019.